Orsted and Eversource, developers of the proposed South Fork Wind farm, have made a $10,000 contribution to the United Way of Long Island’s Project Warmth Emergency Fuel Fund.
Project Warmth is Long Island’s only Island-wide nongovernmental emergency heating fund. It exists as a safety net for those facing energy insecurity, many of whom have exhausted other options for assistance by this point in the winter.
“We’re proud to assist United Way of Long Island in helping local residents with their heating bills,” Jennifer Garvey, New York market affairs manager for Orsted, said in a statement issued on Wednesday. “We always aim to be a good neighbor in the communities where we develop projects and helping our neighbors in their time of need is something we take seriously.”
“We want to thank our friends at United Way of Long Island for the incredible work they do to help assist families in our communities that are struggling during these difficult times,” Dennis Galvam, manager, outreach planning for strategic projects, at Eversource, said in the same statement. “We are proud to partner with an organization that helps families in difficult financial situations. At Eversource, we believe that no family should have to choose between putting food on their table, heating their homes, or keeping their lights on, and through our partnership with United Way we are working together to make sure that the Project Warmth Emergency Fund is there for families that need it the most.”
“This is an exciting time to begin our collaborative efforts with Orsted and Eversource,” Theresa Regnante, United Way of Long Island’s president and chief executive officer, said in the same statement. “Collectively, we can make a real impact on our neighbors, especially those who are struggling to make ends meet as a result of the economic impacts of Covid-19.”
United Way of Long Island can be contacted by dialing 211 or visiting its website, 211longisland.org, for assistance.
Contributions to the Project Warmth Emergency Fuel Fund can be made at unitedwayli.org/projectwarmth.
The New York State Public Service Commission voted on Thursday to issue a conditional Certificate of Environmental Compatibility and Public Need for the portion of the wind farm under state jurisdiction. It remains under review by the federal Bureau of Ocean Energy Management. The Town of East Hampton and the town trustees have agreed to grant permission to the developers to land its export cable in Wainscott and bury it on a path to the Long Island Power Authority substation in East Hampton.
